1066 Country tourism organisation appoints new chair

Sarah, owner of glamping business Swallowtail Hill, has represented Rye on the 1066 Executive Board for the past five years. She now steps up to Chair, taking over from Stewart Drew, Director & CEO of the De La Warr Pavilion, who has held the role since 2016.

1066 Country is a Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) which has been successfully promoting the region for the past 30 years. The tourism industry in the area is worth over £554m a year and supports 12,600 jobs.

With members spanning tourist attractions, heritage sites, cultural venues, vineyards, hotels, B&Bs, self-catering accommodation and hospitality providers, the public private partnership punches above its weight in promoting the region. Recent successes include press coverage in The Times and iNews and a high impact ‘Moments’ social media campaign supported by outdoor poster advertising.

In addition to marketing the area, 1066 Country provides vital resources and tools for its members and keeps them updated on the latest market and business developments and opportunities.

Rother District Council is the accountable body for 1066 Country, supported by Wealden District Council and key partners include English Heritage and The National Trust.

Sarah Broadbent says: ‘The landscape of DMOs is changing alongside the reorganisation of local government and with devolution on the horizon. All of this is happening at a time when businesses in the visitor economy are also managing really challenging times, so ensuring share of voice for smaller destinations and regions like ours has never been more important. 1066 Country has shown its resilience during recent years and has a very clear business plan going forward. I’m both conscious of the challenges we face but also excited by them. We have an excellent Executive Board and I look forward to working with them on the next part of the 1066 journey. I’d like to thank Stewart on behalf of the 1066 board past and present for his excellent stewardship and long-term support of the partnership.’

Stewart Drew adds; ‘I’ve had a fantastic 10 years as Chair of 1066 Country during which the partnership has done an amazing job developing and raising awareness of the brand. I’m particularly proud of the work done by the team through the pandemic, responding in a really agile way and providing hugely valuable updates and signposting to help members navigate what was an incredibly challenging time for the sector. I’m delighted to be handing over stewardship of 1066 Country to Sarah and I look forward to continuing to support the partnership in attracting visitors to our stunningly rich and varied year round destination.’